1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lawn and garden edging systems with integral conductors and lighting accessories.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lawn edging is typically used to provide a sharp line between two areas of diverse plant growth in a lawn. In the past a variety of edging systems have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,977,021 discloses a sheet metal edging. While sheet metal is flexible and inexpensive it tends to corrode quickly, particularly in this application where lawn and garden fertilizers are often being used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,018 discloses a lawn edging system including stakes used to hold the edging in place. This patent discloses many of the common materials used for edging including molded or extruded plastic and aluminum extrudate. Each of these materials has problems. Most plastics hold up well in ground contact, but do not hold up well when exposed to UV light from the sun and to freezing conditions. Lawn edging must also be tough because lawn and garden equipment such as lawn mowers and bladed lawn edgers are often used right up next to the edging material. Most plastics are not tough enough to last more then a few seasons in this kind of abusive environment. While aluminum is tougher then plastic, it must be coated to look good and resist the corrosion of fertilizers. The coating system usually fails after just a few seasons.
It is therefore desirable to have a lawn edging system that is attractive, tough, corrosion and UV resistant, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to install.
Prior art systems that provide embedded conductors involve the penetration of one surface of the product by a pronged bulb to make a connection. In these instances, the bulbs are not replaceable as they are traditionally soldered to the embedded conductor. To overcome this limitation, alternative prior art systems provide place-fixed bulb holders that are soldered to the embedded conductor. Spent bulbs can then be replaced as needed. However, these systems also suffer from several limitations. What is needed is a system that is inexpensive to produce, modular, flexible, and adaptable by the end user to locate lighting or other apparatus anywhere along lawn edging or at any distance therefrom. Furthermore, a system that provides ease of use in extending the length of edging is also desirable. Even further, a system that is aesthetically pleasing and includes properties to ensure safe operation and appropriate electrical characteristics for providing lighting or other power requirements is also desirable.